Page 3 - aruba-today-20170222

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 22 February

Trump denounces anti-Semitism in newly forceful condemnation

Continued from Front an impassioned backer of
Israel.
“The anti-Semitic threats Trump welcomed Israeli
targeting our Jewish com- Prime Minister Benjamin
munity and community Netanyahu to the White
centers are horrible and House last week and sig-
are painful and a very sad naled a new closeness be-
reminder of the work that tween the countries as he
still must be done to root withheld clear support for
out hate and prejudice an independent Palestine
and evil,” Trump said. He and declared he could
did not outline what that endorse a one-nation so-
might entail. lution to the long dispute
On Monday, Trump’s between Palestinians and
daughter Ivanka Trump Israel.
wrote on Twitter, “We must At a joint news confer-
protect our houses of wor- ence, Trump called Israel
ship & religious centers,” a symbol of “survival in the
and used the hashtag face of genocide.”
#JCC. She converted to Trump’s Tuesday com-
Judaism ahead of her 2009 ments were praised by sev-
marriage to Jared Kushner. eral Jewish organizations.
She joined her father at the Jonathan Greenblatt,
African-American museum President Donald Trump speaks after touring of the National Museum of African American History chief executive of the Anti-
tour. and Culture, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, in Washington. From left are, Candy Carson, Housing and Defamation League, the
Urban Development Secretary-designate Dr. Ben Carson, Trump, and Alveda King, niece of Dr.
The FBI said it was joining Martin Luther King Jr. Jewish civil rights group
with the Justice Depart- (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) that has been highly criti-
ment’s Civil Rights Division cal of Trump, called the
to investigate “possible life.” clusive. led before joining Trump’s statement an “important
civil rights violations in con- In January, the White And throughout his cam- campaign. During the first step.”
nection with threats.” House drew criticism for a paign, Trump was criticized campaign, Trump at times “I think the Jewish commu-
Ryan Lenz, spokesman for statement commemorat- for what some saw as be- appeared to play to ste- nity has been looking for
the Southern Poverty Law ing the Holocaust that did lated and inadequately reotypes, including tweet- leadership from the presi-
Center, said it has seen an not mention the murder of forceful denunciations of ing out an anti-Hillary Clin- dent. I was encouraged to
uptick in incidents since Jews, in contrast with pre- hateful rhetoric by some of ton image that included hear him step up and say
Trump’s election. “People vious administrations. The his supporters. what appeared to be a that proactively and now
are much more willing to statement, criticized by the Trump’s top strategist Ste- Star of David atop a pile of we need to look for the
express their bigoted selves Anti-Defamation League phen Bannon came under money. follow-up so we can move
than they were prior to the and others, was defended fire for stories published by Still, Trump has won strong from words to action,”
election,” Lenz said. by the White House as in- Breitbart News, which he’d support in some circles as Greenblatt said.q
Trump’s statement Tues-
day followed a series of
episodes that put some Trump administration working on trans bathroom guidelines
American Jews on edge.
Last week at a news con- MARIA DANILOVA dents to use school rest- to do is look at what the instructed to treat students
ference, Trump tangled Associated Press rooms that match their president’s view has been in line with their expressed
with a reporter from an WASHINGTON (AP) — The gender identity, not their for a long time, that this is gender identity without re-
Orthodox Jewish publica- Trump administration is assigned gender at birth. not something the federal quiring any medical proof.
tion, cutting him off as he working on a new set of White House spokesman government should be in- While the move was hailed
asked about a rise in bomb directives on the use of Sean Spicer did not pro- volved in, this is a states’ by rights organizations, it
threats. school bathrooms by trans- vide any details on the rights issue,” Spicer said. was attacked by conserva-
The president, who seemed gender students, the White new guidelines that are The Obama administra- tive groups, which called it
to interpret the query as House said Tuesday. The being prepared by the Jus- tion’s guidance, issued last federal overreach and an
an attack on him person- announcement alarmed tice Department, but said May, held that transgender infringement on the per-
ally, said it was “not a fair LGBT groups across the Trump has long held that students can access rest- sonal space and safety of
question” and went on to country that have urged such matters should be left rooms and participate in all other students.
say he was the “least anti- President Donald Trump to the states, not the feder- school athletics according A patchwork of state laws
Semitic person that you’ve to safeguard Obama-era al government, to decide. with the gender they iden- and policies on the issue is
ever seen in your entire guidelines allowing stu- “I think that all you have tify with. Schools were also emerging.q